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SERMON XIV.

734

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Preached in the Parish-Church of St. Mary, Lambeth, Oct. 25, 1761.

TIT. iii. 1, 2.

Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magistrates; to be ready to every good Work:

To speak evil of no Man; to be no Brawlers, but gentle; shewing all Meekness unto all Men.

HIS

TH is the first Anniversary of the Day,

on which we loft, very unexpectedly, a Sovereign, under whose just and mild and prudent Administration we had lived, in Freedom, Safety and Plenty, above thirty-three Years. The Mercy of Providence, unworthy as we are of it, hath filled his Place with a most pious and gracious, amiable and respectable Prince; who hath hitherto given us Cause to hope, from his Government, for every Thing that we can wish. Our joint Thankfgivings have just now, with the greatest Reafon, been offered up to God for so important a Bleffing; together with our earnest Prayers, which indeed we repeat as often as we affemble ble here, for his long Life and Profperity. But the most acceptable Expression of our Gratitude will be, to perform, every one of us, diligently the several Duties of loyal Subjects, that belong to our respective Stations. And these the Passage of Scripture, which I have read to you, comprehends so fully, and ranges them in so natural an Order, that explaining and enforcing the Precepts of it, as they lie there, will give a sufficient View of all that is incumbent on us in this Matter.

Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magistrates. These Phrases have the same Meaning: only the Variety of them serves to set forth the Obligation the more completely, and press it the more earnestly: as indeed there are few, that deferve a greater Regard.

Human Kind, from early Ages, have lived collected into large Numbers: and our Nature and Circumstances plainly require, that we should. We experience an inward Propenfion to assemble and unite: and are by the Faculty of Speech peculiarly qualified for it. We have many Affections, and the Seeds of many Virtues, planted in us; which a more folitary Life would give us very little Room to exercise or cultivate: and many Wants and Neceffities belong to our Condition, which nothing can tolerably well fupply, but an extensive Intercourse of Man with Man. We cannot

cannot therefore either improve or enjoy ourselves, as God designed, but in Society: and Society cannot subsist, without a due Subordination of one Part of it to another; that is, without Government and Obedience. The Appetites, the Passions, the Caprices of Men, would be always leading them to disquiet their Neighbours, if they were not restrained by Authority. And a publick Direction is further neceffary, both for Defence against external Dangers, and for establishing inward Order in the Community. For even the best meant Endeavours of each Particular for the general Benefit, would be almost always ineffectual, and often prejudicial, unless they were conducted by the general Wisdom. Then befides, the civil Power is eminently useful, by the Sanctions of its Laws, to what concerns us yet more nearly, the Reformation of our Morals, and bettering our Tempers. For though Rewards and Punishments have no immediate Efficacy to make a Change within : yet regulating our Behaviour will of course by Degrees contribute to mend our Hearts. Human Laws indeed cannot extend to all our Actions: but to many of the most material they can: putting it out of Men's Power to do the Evil, which else they would, or stopping them short before they are gone far: faving fome by Fear *, making others wife by Experience, extirpating the Incorrigible; and obliging every one to set all around him a Pat* Jude Ver. 23.

tern

-tern of innocent and regular Living. But then lastly, as a right Belief in God, and his various Difpenfations towards Men, promotes, beyond all Things, both the Virtue and the Happiness of Mankind; another chief Advantage of good Government is, that whereas without it, most Men would either through Ignorance be destitute of religious Principles, or by their own Folly, or the Fraud of others, led into abfurd and pernicious ones: it kindly makes Provifion for them of a rational Method of Instruction and Worship: not obtruding it on them by Force, but propofing and recommending it, which will always fuffice: and thus they are guarded, at once, from the dreadful Evils both of Impiety and Superstition; and carefully taught to discharge the Duties, and bear the Afflictions, of human Life.

Government therefore being so powerfully conducive to the Attainment of these most valuable Ends, which doubtless our Maker defigned to be attained, the Establishment of it in the World ought consequently to be regarded, as a most important Law of God and Nature, directly flowing from the Conftitution of Things. And what Reason teaches, Revelation expressly confirms: declaring, that the civil Power is the Ordinance of God; and They, who exercise it, His Ministers of Good to Men*: from which Premises the Apoftle's Conclufion in the fame Place is undeniable:

* Rom. xiii. 1, 2, 4.

Where

Wherefore ye must needs be. fubject, not only for Wrath, but also for Confcience Sake*. Whoever then refuses due Submiffion to the Autho rity, which Providence hath placed him peaceably under; though we ought to judge of him as charitably as with Reason we can, if he pleads Confcience for it; is, at least undesignedly, guilty of disobeying the Appointment of Heaven, in a Matter of the utmost Consequence: to the Good of Mankind. I do not, by this, enjoin Obedience to whatever Power máy start up, and maintain itself, in Times of publick Confufion, for a while, by the Sword: but to such only, as is fully and quietly fettled, and acknowledged by the general Consent of the Community. Our Duty becomes such, in this Cafe, only for the Sake of our common Good. And therefore, not they, who think they ought, and say they would protect us, but they whoi can and do, are to be owned and obeyed. The Nature of the Thing, and the frequent Viciffitudes of human Affairs, requires abfolute ly, that this be the Rule; and all the World have ever admitted it, excepting a Handful of Persons in our own Age and Country; who undoubtedly deferve both Pity and Efteem, so far as they go upon Principle; but whose Notions, were they to spread, would produce inextricable Confufion throughout the Earth.

And very happily Scripture is as clear in this Point, as Reason. There is no Power, faith

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* Rom. xiil 5.

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